Slide fastener brief case



July 10, 1951 H. J. GUENTHER ETAL SLIDE FASTENER BRIEF CASE Filed June16, 1949 :15? am I flE/V/PY J. 605N77/5/P," GEMGE maze-#777 5 PatentedJuly 10, 1951 UNITED STATES Mar rrics SLIDE FASTENER BRIEF CASE Henry J.Guenther and George G. Guenther, New York, N. Y.

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to flap-closure type portable receptacles,including brief cases, pocketbooks, portfolios and the like, and whichare commonly made of flexible material such as leather, imitationleather, fabric, rubberized fabric and similar materials. Suchreceptacles are usually relatively narrow in width but frequently areexpansible to greater width for accommodating variations in thickness ofcontent.

The general object of the invention is to pro- 1 vide a flap-closuretype portable receptacle having a slide fastener for removably securingthe closure flap to the body of the receptacle and which will notinterfere with the ready opening and closing of the flap.

A further related object of the invention is to employ a slide fastenerbetween the flap and body of a flap-closure type receptacle in anarrangement such that the slide is the only part of the slide fastenerto be manipulated in order to permit free opening of the flap.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flap-closure receptacleof the expansible type with associated and cooperative slide fastenermeans for securing the closure flap and securing means for holding thereceptacle against undesired expansion.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentto persons skilled in the art from a consideration of the attacheddrawings and annexed specification illustrating and describing apreferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a frontperspective view of a device embodying the inventionshowing it in closed position;

Fig. 2 is a rear perspective view of the device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front perspective View of the device in open position andwith the flap-closure thrown back;

Fig. 4 is a top plan View of a portion of the device expanded relativeto the showing in Fig. 2 and illustrating the means for preventingfurther undesired expansion thereof.

Referring now to the drawings the body ill of i the receptacle comprisesfront and rear walls I and I2, a bottom wall [3 and a top closure flanI4. The bottom wall I3 is preferably formed as a separate piece, securedto the front and rear walls in any suitable manner, as by stitching, andwide enough to permit expansion of the receptacle to the desired extent.The closure flap I4 is preferably formed integral with the rear wall l2and has an intermediate portion l5 adapted to cover the top of thereceptacle in its expanded or contracted position and a terminalportion. 56 extending outwardly over the upper edge of the front wall II and downwardly therefrom to a point intermediate its height. Theterminal portion 56 is adapted to be releasably secured to anintermediate portion of the front wall H, in a manner hereinafterdescribed, to lock the receptacle in closed position.

The ends of the receptacle comprise bellowstype collapsible webs I'lsecured to the inner side edge portion of the front and rear walls l Iand I2 in any suitable manner, as by stitching, and having securedbetween the folds thereof a plurality of partition members is,preferably of relatively stiff material such as pressed fiber board orthe like. As will be apparent the be1lows-type collapsible webs I!permit expansion of the receptacle from a minimum thickness dimension,as when empty, to a maximum thickness dimension, as when fully loaded.

In accordance with the present invention the closure flap M isreleasably secured to the front wall ll, intermediate the heightthereof, by a.

slide fastener !9 comprising interdigitating elements 2!) and 2| and aslide 22. The interdigitating elements 29 are carried by a strip ofsuitable material 23 such as cloth or the like. in known manner, whichis secured to the terminal edge portions 2 of the closure flap H5. Theinterdigitating elements 2! are likewise carried by a strip 25' which issecured to the front wall ll of the receptable intermediate the heightthereof as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. v

In a preferred form of construction the front wall H is formed of upperand lower sections 26 and 2'! which overlap at 28 and are securedtogether along their overlapping portions as by stitching 29, with thestrip 25 positioned and secured therebetween. When the slide 22 is inclosed position as shown in Fig. l the interdigitating elements 20 and2| are securely locked together thus securing the terminal edge 24 ofthe closure flap to the front wall ll intermediate the height thereofand holding the closure flap 14 in place over the top and upper portionof the receptacle to close it.

At one side of the body portion l0 we provide a bifurcated member 30having leg portions 3| and 32 secured respectively to a terminal sideedge portion of the closure flap M, as at 33, and to an edge of thefront wall I l at the overlapping portions 28 of the upper and lowersections 26 and 21, as at 34. The bifurcated member 30 is preferablymade of the same material as the body portion l and is of a length suchthat the closure fiap l4 may be swung upwardly to open position as shownin Fig. 3 to allow full access to the interior of the receptacle throughthe top thereof.

In accordance with the present invention the bifurcated member 30 isdesigned to permit the flap M to be freely opened by manipulation of theslide 22 without disengagement thereof from the interdigitating elementsand 2| and. for this purpose is provided with strips 35 and 36, securedthereto in any suitable manner, and carrying the interdigitatingelements 31 and 38 which constitute continuations of the interdigitatingelements 20 and 2|. Thus by moving the slide 22 into the bifurcatedmember 30 the bifurcations thereof may be separated to permit the flap[4 to be opened to its full extent. To close the flap [4 it is merelynecessary to move the slide 22 to the right until it reaches theposition shown in Fig. 1.

The bifurcated member 30 is also designed to hold the receptacle againstundesired expansion and for this purpose is provided with a socket 39adapted for snap fastener engagement with a stud 40 secured to the rearwall l2. To provide for variations in thickness of the receptacle causedby variations in the contents thereof additional studs 43 may beprovided as desired.

In closed position the slide 22 is disposed at the extreme right of thebody portion It with the interdigitating elements 20, 2| and 31, 38 inlocked engagement and the bifurcated member 30 disposed around the endof the body portion and secured to the rear wall I2 by the snap fastenerelements 39 and 40. When it is desired to open the flap M the snapfastener elements 39 and -30 are disengaged and the slide 22 moved tothe left into the bifurcated member 30. The flap may then be opened tothe position shown in Fig. 3 permitting access to the interior of thereceptacle.

' Various modifications of the invention described and illustrated willmost likely occur to those skilled in the art to which the inventionrelates and may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention, the scope of which is indicated in the attached claims.

We claim:

1. A portable receptacle having opposite side members and end membersand having atop opening defined by upper edges of one of the sidemembers and the end members, a flexible closure flap secured to thesecond side member adjacent the top opening and adapted, when closed, tooverlie the top opening and lie in overlapping relation with the upperportion of the first side member, said closure flap having a freelongitudinal edge and free end edges, a flexible elongated bifurcatedmember having a free closed outer end and opposite leg portions securedat their open inner ends, one to one end of the closure flap adjacentthe longitudinal edge thereof and the other to the corresponding end ofthe second side member at a point spaced downwardly from the topopening, said leg portions of the bifurcated member being free ofconnection with the adjacent end member and being of sufficient lengththat with spreading apart of said leg portions the closure flap canswing upwardly to open position, opposite coacting lines of slidefasteners, one of said lines being secured to the longitudinal edge ofthe closure fiap and one leg portion of said bifurcated member and theother said line of fasteners being secured lengthwise of the second sidemember in downwardly spaced relation to the top opening and to thesecond leg portion of the bifurcated member, and a slide coactive withthe lines of fasteners having fastener opening movement in the directionof the bifurcated member and to the closed outer end of said bifurcatedmember.

2. A portable receptacle according to claim 1 further including fastenermeans for detachably securing the closed outer end of the bifurcatedmember to the first side member and across the adjacent end member.

3. A portable receptacle according to claim 1 wherein the end membersare of bellows type to adapt the receptacle to expand to differentwidths, and further including fastener means adapted to detachably andadjustably secure the closed end of the bifurcated member to the firstside member in different positions lengthwise of the side member andacross the adjacent one of said end members.

HENRY J. GUENTHER. GEORGE G. GUENTHER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record file of thispatent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date France Dec. 9, 1929Great Britain Aug. 18, 1932 in the Number Number

